1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of covers for hitch tubes which receive hitches used to tow trailers, boats and the like behind cars, trucks, sports utility vehicles (SUV), etc. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hitch cover which includes a bottle opener on its external surface or as part of the hitch cover itself. Still more specifically, the hitch cover of the preferred embodiment is of the type which may be easily inserted and locked into a hitch tube and which may be manufactured inexpensively using a wire form to hold a face plate over the rear opening of the hitch tube. In this embodiment, a wire form is pivotally attached to the rear surface of a face plate (or a component thereof), the wire form being deformed as it is inserted into the tube so that the spring forces of the wire form will assist in holding the hitch cover in place and prevent rattling of the hitch cover during use of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitches attached to cars, trucks, sports utility vehicles and the like are commonplace. They typically include a hitch tube permanently mounted to the vehicle and a hitch which is inserted into the tube and locked thereto, usually with a pin or a lock extending through openings on opposed walls of the tube. A ball is usually mounted at or near the outer end of the bar and is used to mount the trailer or other device to be towed by the vehicle. Several standard sized hitch tubes are encountered in most car, light truck and SUV applications, designated as Class II and Class III. The former has an inner tube opening which is a one and one-quarter inch (11/4") square, and the latter has an inner tube opening which is also square but with two inch (2") sides.
The hitch tubes include a rearwardly oriented opening which receives the hitch bar. In some hitches, the opening is a central extension of a square piece of tubing, while in other models, the opening is surrounded by a flange, a plate or some other component of the vehicle or the hitch tube mounting structure. The opening, while functionally necessary, is not attractive when the hitch is removed, and it detracts from the overall aesthetics of the rear of the vehicle. As a result, it has been suggested that covers be provided for the hitch tube opening.
Several styles of cover are currently available, ranging from simple plastic or rubber devices that are frictionally inserted at the very end of the hitch tube to very expensive decorative covers. One known decorative cover includes a face plate having a planar rear surface and a flat plate extending from a central location on the rear of the plate. The plate is inserted into the hitch tube until a hole in the plate is aligned with openings in the opposed sidewalls of the hitch tubes. When such alignment occurs, a pin or lock is inserted through the assembly to retain the hitch cover in place. This known hitch cover is cast as a single, integral piece, and accordingly it is expensive. It furthermore suffers from a problem of rattling, unless the hole and pin or lock alignment is nearly perfect.
Another known hitch cover includes a multi-component assembly which is attached to the rear of a face plate. This device is illustrated in the Internet print-out submitted with this application for patent and is entitled HITCH BUCKLE Product Line (dated May 11, 1999). This complex product is also expensive and requires assembly before installation.
HITCHWARE.TM. solid cast aluminum billet hitch covers are illustrated in the accompanying Internet print-out dated Sep. 2, 1999. It is believed that the mounting component of this product is a cast, solid square box inserted into the hitch tube, with a hole therethrough for alignment with the holes of the hitch tube. This device, due to its construction, is also costly to produce and expensive to buy, thus reducing its attractiveness to impulse-buying customers.
Other hitch covers including tube stock mountings are shown at page 51 of Herrington's, the Enthusiasts' Catalog, Fall 1999, a copy of which is supplied with this application for patent. These polished, billet aluminum devices are expensive and beyond the price level of impulse buyers who desire an attractive hitch cover.
The assignee of this application has developed a less expensive hitch cover which may be manufactured simply and economically and which may be packaged, displayed and stored in less space than other products currently available. The application for a patent is entitled HITCH COVER and was filed on Dec. 14, 1999 by K. Wayne Smith, et al. and assigned Ser. No. 09/460,967. It includes a face plate which may be of a variety of shapes and a spring wire form coupled to the rear of the face plate and having at least one dimension exceeding the diagonal dimension of the hitch tube. The wire form is constructed and arranged to be inserted into the hitch tube by compressing the wire form. The hitch cover is accordingly held within the hitch tube by the resulting outwardly directed spring forces. The face plate may contain any type of decorative art work including logos, graphic or pictorial scenes, sports items, and the like. After insertion of the wire form into the hitch tube, in the preferred embodiment of the above-referred application, a hitch pin or lock is inserted through the conventional hitch tube openings to prevent removal of the wire form, and hence the hitch cover, from the hitch tube. The hitch cover of the earlier application has met with commercial success and is favored by retailers who can display many more of the hitch covers in a designated display space than is possible with hitch covers such as those described earlier in this application.
One popular use for vans, trucks and SUVs is tailgating, an increasingly popular activity usually associated with a sporting event. It is becoming increasing fashionable to carry a variety of picnicking paraphernalia in the vehicle, such as grills, picnic tables, chairs and the like. A meal is prepared at home or at the activity site and consumed prior to the event. Beverages are typically carried in coolers and are opened during the tailgating experience. To the knowledge of the present inventors, no one has incorporated a bottle opener in an SUV, van or truck, much less at a location which would be convenient for those participating in a tailgating party.
As seen above, a variety of hitch cover products are currently available, but none of them are sturdy, decorative and inexpensive to manufacture, such that more consumers will be able to afford them. Moreover, it is not suggested in any of this prior art to provide a bottle opener as part of the hitch cover. The development of a rugged, inexpensive, rattle-free, reliable and decorative hitch cover which also includes the functional ability of opening a bottle would represent a significant advance in this art.